DAESH succeeded in establishing and proclaiming an Islamic state over large parts of Iraqi and Syrian territory. Why was DAESH able to make the transition to conventional large-scale warfare and establish itself as a state actor, unlike other competing insurgent groups such as Al-NUSRAH? This study examines logistics in the case of DAESH as the crucial factor for the specific conditions when guerrilla warfare shifts from operating subversively, with sabotage and ambushes, to open combat actions. In an ambition to possibly bridge the gap between the theoretical perspectives on military logistics in asymmetric conflicts.